Mother Nature has bestowed an early Spring to Saluda. Wildflowers are blooming at least two weeks early. Walking or slowly driving down Pearson Falls Road, walking the Palmetto Trail, or driving down (slowly) any country road that hasn't had its banks mowed, you will see in bloom Crab Apples, Shadblow, Dogwood, Golden Ragwort, Wood Phlox, Virginia Bluebells, Mayapples, Pussy Toes, Blood Root, several varieties of Trillium, several varieties of Violets, and Red Buds.

This is according to Walter Hoover who viewed this early blooming first hand. Walter is proprietor of Charles Street Garden Suite and grows and sells Japanese Irises.

"This is just the start of waves and waves of wildflowers that will continue to bloom well into April and May," says Walter.

To see where and when wildflowers are blooming in the mountains, click on this link Spring Flowers Blooming Calendar

Remember the golden rule about viewing wildflowers, "Leave them as you found them so that others can enjoy them, too."

The Saluda Women’s Club (SWC) had such a successful fund-raiser in 2006 with its Low Country Boil that another is scheduled for May 12. The outing, held at Camp Wayfarer last October, was part of the club’s Fare Extraordinaire encouraging folks to donate by dining. The proceeds were used to fund scholarships for Saluda college-bound students. Also donations for the Saluda Medical Center and the Fire Department were made possible because of the generosity of the diners.

The affair is named for the entre’ served by club cooks- -a combination of shrimp, sausage, potatoes and corn, plus a side of coleslaw, and beverages. Prepared in huge pots on the porch, the fresh air stimulates appetites. Another feature from last year is the Lonesome Road Band. Camp Wayfarer provides a beautiful setting with its rustic but comfortable dining hall, outdoor venues of rolling terrain, lake and forest, and its genial hostess, Nancy Wilson.

A new feature this year is a drawing of prizes donated by club members and merchants from Saluda, including art works, gourmet wines and foods. Guests will be encouraged to dance along with the band just as they sang along with some of its numbers last year. Decorations of flowers and fruit will be new this year since the theme will be “Spring into Summer.”

To get your ticket to the boil, contact a Women’s Club member. Also check for the SWC sales table on Main Street on sunny Fridays and Saturdays in late March and early April. Or write for further information at P.O. Box 1, Saluda, NC 28773. Tickets will be $50 a piece or get up a group and have a table for six for $275 or ten for $450. SWC hopes to accommodate everyone who wants to be part of this fun event, but reserve your space early to be included for sure.

By Barbara Hastings, Saluda Women’s Club

Meet the artist, Ray Pague, at Saluda Fine Arts reception opening his exhibit Saturday, April 28, 6:00 – 7:30, 46 E. Main St., Saluda NC. Currently he lives in Tryon and keeps a studio in Saluda. His art reflects his varied experiences and experiments with art.

You are invited to this opening reception, which will include wine, refreshments and music.

Heart wood Gallery Presents Bears and their Habitats, photographs by Bill Lea and paintings by Mike Bedoian April 1-May 31. You are invited to the artists' reception Friday, April 13th 5-7pm

Jhon Akers will be performing the classical guitar at Saluda Fine Arts.

This will kick off the Friday Night Art Party season Friday, April 13 from 5-7.

The Saluda Grade Cafe will feature singer and song writer, Terry McMinn April 13 beginning at 6:30pm. Terry performs folk, jazz, and blues.

The Orchard Inn invites you to their Container Gardening Workshop April 14. Plant yourself on the sunny deck as Master Gardener Rebekah Cline leads a day of helpful instruction. Please call for details.

Also remember to make your reservation NOW at The Orchard Inn for the Saluda Art and Music Festival (May 19), the Fourth of July, and Coon Dog Day Parade (July 7), our December Dickens Dinners, and our New Year's Eve Gala.

Cassandra L. Nelson-Gorski is a Yoga and Chair Excercise instructor at the Senior Center. These excercises are for ALL ages. Here's the schedule:

Chair Exercises:
Tuesday 2:00pm, Friday 10:00am, $5.00/class

Yoga:
Wednesday and Thursday at 6:00pm
For beginners and intermediate. $10.00/class (uses a sliding scale).

Each class is one hour.

Frank and Amy Beeson are organizing a benefit concert and auction scheduled for Friday, April 6, 2007.

The concert features "The Shane Pruitt Band" at The Tryon Movie Theatre, Trade Street, Tryon NC at 8:00pm.

Auction is at 7:00pm and preview at 6. Auctioneer is Terry Cacciopo of Tryon Auction. Contact Frank Beeson at 749-3210 to arrange for auction item deliveries and pick up.

Proceeds will go toward the $12,000 medical bills of Jeb Bolton. Jeb owns Jeb's Pet Grooming in Tryon and has undergone cancer treatment and has no health insurance. She is a regular shopper in Saluda and financial supporter of music concerts in the area.

Tickets are now available for $20.00 each. call 828- 749-3210 for reservation and other information.

The Shane Pruitt Band

Morgan Auction & Realty provides real and personal property sales and business liquidation. The firm auctions antiques and collectibles two and three times a month. Next scheduled auctions are April 7 and 21 at 7pm. The Auction House is located conveniently off Ozone behind the Apple Mill.

"Just Let a Smile Be Your Umbrella "is the theme for this year's Fashion Show & Desserts sponsored by the Saluda Presbyterian Women as a benefit for mission projects. The show is April 11 at 2:00pm at the Presbyterian Fellowship Hall. Tickets are $6 at door, $5 in advance. Fashions provided by Brenda Exline's, So Irresistible. Brenda will also be moderating the show.

The popular Green River Boys perform at the City Club Grill Restaurant April 6 and 20 at 6:00pm. You can contact the City Club Grill at 749-1800. More on Green River Boys.

The Purple Onion will feature Stacey Earle and Mark Stuart at its monthly Sunday night concert series on April 1. Performance starts at 7 o'clock and tickets are $15 per person. Reservations can be made by calling the cafe at 749-1179 or stopping by in person. For more information visit Stacey Earle and Mark Stuart . Be sure to check the Quick Links for additional performance information.

The Wildflour Bakery is gearing up for the big Artisan Bread Festival in Asheville this Saturday (March 25) and then turning their attention to the first Sunday Brunch of the season on April 1 (no fooling) from 10 am - 2 pm) following up with Friday Night Pizza (5 - 9 pm) beginning April 6. (No Brunch on Easter Sunday, April 8).

Saluda Garden Club will kickoff this season with the first meeting April 9 at 2:00pm. The meeting will be held upstairs at the Saluda Library. After a business meeting, the group will head to Spring Park for cleanup and planting.

The community is invited to the meeting and help in the park would be wonderful!

Meetings to Remember
Town Council meets second Monday of the month at 7:00pm in the meeting room above the Saluda Library.

Saluda Business Association meets first Tuesday of the month at 5:30 in the meeting room above the Saluda Library.

Artist, Jim Carson has scheduled his spring plein air workshop in Saluda from Thurs., May 31 through Sat.,June 2. Also included is a "get acquainted" party at Jim's home on Wed.night,May 30.

The workshop is entitled "Painting Fast And Loose" and will feature wonderful outdoor painting sights, concentrating on simplifying shapes and applying paint quickly and confidently. There will be an emphasis on color harmony,painterly marks and composition.The cost of the workshop is $300. To learn more click on the link provided and visit Jim's web site or call 828 749-3702. Jim's website.

Random Arts April Workshop Schedule
Technique-a-Week starts in April 2007 - Every Friday at 11am and 2pm Free - Hands on mini workshops - Registration necessary Sat. 14th - PMC earrings with Lisa Blackwell of Zoa Art $220. includes all materials Visit Random Arts website for more workshop information.

The Western North Carolina Aids Project invites your participation in "National Dining Out for Life Day." On Thursday, April 26, 2007, participating restaurants will contribute 20% gross sales to the WNCAP mission in Aids prevention, education, and support. Please consider lunch or supper at The Purple Onion or the Saluda Grade Cafe on April 26.

You will be greeted by an Ambassador that will seat you and answer any questions about WNCAP and how the funds are used. Visit WNCAP to learn more.

Birch L. McMurray provided this old photo of Sallie Henderson McMurray (Mrs. John McMurray). This family lived in the Green River Cove and took produce by mule and backpack into Saluda. They moved to the eastern end of the county in 1911. This picture was taken around 1910.

She was from Hendersonville and was a sister to Leonard and Luther Henderson. The descendants of the Hendersons are those in the apple business in Hendersonville.

Birch L. McMurray is Sallie's grandson and is related to many people in Tryon, Hendersonville, and Saluda. The home place is still owned by the McMurray family. Sallie and John's place in the Green River Cove is just beyond the upper bridge on Green River as you go from Saluda to Green River Cove. It is just below the bridge across the river on the right.

By Birch L. McMurray

After 44 years, Coon Dog Day is still going strong. Coon Dog Day planners invite you to participate in the Coon Dog Day parade. There's no application and the only requirements are creativity, imagination, and a good sense of humor!

Coon Dog Day is July 7, 2007 (always the first Saturday after the 4th).

Doris Marion would be glad to answer any questions you may have about entering the parade. Just give her a call at 828-749-2581.

With 45 exhibitors already signed up, we are extending the deadline for applications until May 1. There's still time to sign up and enjoy the opportunity to show your talented creations and sell to the thousands of people who will attend the festival.

The festival is scheduled for May 19, 2007 on historic downtown Main Street in Saluda from 10:00am to 7:30pm.

Art work will be judged and monetary awards will be given in several categories.

To enter the festival or for more information, please contact Cathy Jackson at 828-817-2876, Beverly Pickard at 828-749-3920 , Shelly Dekay 828-749- 9365, or email to info@saluda.com. You may also click here to download an application.

The Saluda Business Association sponsored the directional signs in town. They are located at the Nostalgia Court, front of Carolilne's, and in front of the Purple Onion.

The map was designed from the new Saluda brochure that was produced the SBA last year. This map will navigate visitors to shops, restaurants, and other buildings in town.

Be sure to check out the premier issue of WNC Mountain Living in Western NC magazine. A feature story, "White Death in Happy Valley" tells about Saluda's role as a refuge for tuberculosis sufferers who chose to avoid the large sanitariums.

After thirty years in Saluda, First Citizens Bank will close its Saluda Branch June 29, 2007.

Camp Waggin Tails opened their dog camp in July of 2006 and has seen a steady increase in business and visitors. Striving to make every dog as happy as possible during their stay. Camp Waggin Tails asks you to bring the food they'll furnish the love and treats. Services include dog boarding , doggy daycare, and pet exercising. When you are at work or out of town they will come by and take your pet for a walk. You can reach Pam Phillips, proprietor at 828- 749-3835 or 828-749-3209.

Tosh's WhistleStop Cafe has new hours. 9am to 5pm and closed Tuesday and Wednesday. They have expanded their coffee and brunch menus and offering Leopard Forest Coffee, fresh roasted by the cup or by the pound.

Enjoy a cup of coffee while surfing the internet on their new Wireless Internet.

Saluda Mountain Jamboree will be the host site for a sales promotion event by LGI Land, LTD out of Houston, Texas. LGI will be selling lots in an acreage homesite community that is being developed on Chocolate Drop Mountain just outside of Columbus.

The company will be bringing in a sales staff of 60 to 70 people on a Friday evening in April. The Jamboree is having a meal of roast beef and smoked turkey catered for this training and orientation staff meeting. The following Saturday morning, the company will have 200 to 250 potential buyers from all over the United States at The Saluda Mountain Jamboree for a sales promotional event. The day starts with a formal, country style breakfast, and then everyone will be transported to Chocolate Drop Mountain to view the property. When the guests and sales staff return to The Jamboree, a hearty Texas style lunch of rib eye steaks and chicken will be served hot off the grill. "On The Spot Cooking" from Asheville will cater all the meals for this corporate event. By late afternoon, the guests will be returned to the airport or their hotel and The Saluda Mountain Jamboree will be ready for the Saturday night dance- "Saluda Style"-at 8:00pm ! (Whew!)

Be sure to check out the link to the Tryon Daily Bulletin Quick Link to keep up with local news in Polk County.

That was the title of a cover story recently on a popular magazine. I eagerly bought a copy fully expecting to find dozens of recipes for fatback sandwiches made on biscuits. Fried SPAM, Fried chicken. Fried pork chops. Country fried steak. Fried liver. Fried catfish. Fried apple pies.

Almost anything that's comforting to me is fried. And not in vegetable oil either. In pig fat or lard.

Don't get me wrong about comfort food. It doesn't have to be fried to be comforting. But if it's not fried, it needs to be cooked until it is mushy. Pinto beans cooked until you can't tell they were ever bean shaped. Butter beans, too. (They're the fat yellow ones that are shaped like lima beans but taste better.) And I want green beans that are snapped short into bite size pieces and cooked until they are limp. I am so tired of trying to put long, half-cooked beans in my mouth. It's like trying to eat green pencils.

Chicken and dumplings would qualify as comforting-- so would a bowl of grits if they hadn't been made into a cheese/grits souffle.

Personally I think sardines are comfort food. Roll back the lid; eat them right out of the can. I like to see the way they're packed head-to-toe, toe-to-head. Except canned sardines don't really have heads anymore and they never had toes.

Salt would be on my list of comfort foods. I'm tired of those strange Mexican and California herbs. Salt! Put some salt on the food. It brings out the flavor and it comforts me. At least it comforts me before my stroke.

They say when you get older your taste buds start to die off. They die a few at a time until your tongue's dead of taste buds. Frankly I think uncomforting food is what kills them off. I want them to put on my tombstone: "His Tongue Was the Last Thing To Go."

During the early colonial period in North and South Carolina, the colonists and the Cherokee Indians developed an impressive trade and in 1730, actually signed a “perpetual treaty of peace.” This peace treaty, however, was broken with the outbreak of the French and Indian War after which, settlers began to move deeper into Indian Territory. This led to the royal governor of North Carolina negotiating a new boundary between the Cherokees and the settlers. One boundary point was the highest peak on present- day White Oak Mountain and is known to us as Tryon Peak.

Settlers continued to ignore the boundaries and violence ensued between the two groups leading the Cherokees to side with the British during The American Revolution. The Cherokees planned to attack the Block House in Tryon, but Skyuka alerted Captain Thomas Howard of the plans. Skyuka led Captain Howard and his troops on a surprise raid to defeat the Cherokee forces. The trail he used has become known as Howard Gap Road.

Our listing on Skyuka Mountain Road honors the memory of this Cherokee man and offers 6.38 acres with a breathtaking view. Watch the sun rise in the morning and the city lights at night. With some trimming, this lot offers a panoramic view of Columbus, Tryon, and beyond.

The thermal-belt climate found in Polk County has long been drawing transplants to the area. It was this climate that first won the attention of Frank Stearns and led him to leave Ohio in 1888. He became so enamored with the locale that by 1912, he had purchased three thousand acres to include much of Columbus, Tryon Peak and much of White Oak Mountain. He began developing Spring Mountain Park or the “Switzerland of America” as he called it. To reach the 3,102 foot summit of the mountain, he built what he called a “serpentine drive.”

Today you can follow this “serpentine drive” passing the beautiful Shunkawauken Falls to reach our three scenic listings on White Oak Mountain. Lot # 35 is 1.2 acres of wooded privacy with a four bedroom septic permit and the drive already in place. Continue up to the top of the mountain to our listing at 60 Narrows Court and find a log cabin with a spectacular view. Come back down the mountainside and Lot # 33 is a beautiful wooded lot with a very gentle slope; a Blue Ridge Log Cabin home may soon be constructed on this Lot #11 is a wooded acre with a three bedroom septic permit and backs up to a common green space. It could be combined with Lots #12 and/or #10 for added privacy and seclusion.

Call Cathy Jackson Realty to own a piece of local history.

Cindy Pinkney Canavan is moving to Saluda and starting a farm and gardening school. You may have seen her featured on WLOS Channel 13 a few weeks ago.

With a degree in ethnobotany and over 30 years of professional gardening experience she will be growing and selling organic heirloom vegetables, cut flowers, herbs and perennials. She also offers organic gardening services: design, installation, maintenance and restoration.

Here's her school calendar:

Perennial Gardening 101 - March 31, April 7 & 14th, 2007, Saturdays 9 a.m. to Noon

March 31st Celebrate Perennials!
Design a perennial garden using organic methods and low-maintenance plants. Discover professional tools and tricks of the trade. Determine your garden site and improve your soil.

April 7th Get Down and Dirty!
What kind of garden do you want and what goes in it? Practice hands-on methods establishing a garden bed, using proper tools and choosing right plants for right places. Learn proper plant division and fertilization. Dress to dig in the dirt! Don’t forget your tools!

April 14th A Sight to Behold!
Put the finishing touches on the garden! Explore and share local resources, great gardening books, magazines and online websites. Bring your ideas, questions, favorite tools, books and seed catalogues to share! Leave with the skills to plan and plant your own beautiful garden!

Home Gardening Services & Consultations Available

Fee: $ 35 per class, $90 for series
To register and for directions call Cindy at (828) 891- 3094.

Hurry Class Size Is Limited So Register Early!

The Senior Center serves warm nutritious lunches Monday through Friday from 11:30-12:30 at a cost of $3.00 a person.

The Senior Center welcomes all Saluda citizens to join in the activities and programs offered. You don't have be a "senior" to participate!

Monday Activities Schedule
9:30 Walking Group
9:30 Line Dancing
10:00 NIA Class
(not April 2) 12:30 Yoga
5:30 Yoga

Tuesday Activities Schedule
10:00 Bridge
2:00 Chair Exercise

Wednesday Activities Schedule
9:30 Walking Group
10:00 Trash Train
10:00 NIA Class
(not April 4) 10:00 NIA
6:00 Yoga

Thursday Activities Schedule
9:30 Knitting Group
10:00 NIA Class
(not April 5) 1:00 Sudoku (April 26 only) 2:30 Board Meeting (April 12)
6:00 Yoga

Friday Activities Schedule
9:30 Walking Group
10:00 Trash Train
10:00 Chair Exercise

Birthday Celebration April 13 Closed Good Friday - April 6

For more information about activities at Saluda Senior Center call Donna at 828-749-9245.

The Saluda Senior Center provides many services to the growing retirement community in Saluda. Volunteers to provide these services are needed. They encourage you to share your time to help deliver meals on wheels or work in A Thrifty Barn retail shop. Please contact Donna at 828-749- 9245.

Basement Sale at A Thrifty Barn first and third Saturdays of the month.....great bargains!

Winter Clearance Sale is going on now!

April 3 - Hot Dog Supper 4:30-6:00pm in the cafeteria Student Variety Show to begin at 6:30pm in the auditorium. Please join us for food and entertainment!
April 4 - Spring & class pictures
April 6 - Regular school day for students
April 9-13- Spring Break
April 16-20 - National Volunteer Week
April 23 - May 4 - Artist-in-Residency: David Korup
April 23 - Board of Education Meeting 6:30pm at Stearns
April 26 - AFS exchange students from PCHS 11:00am-1:00pm
April 28 - PTSO Yard Sale 7:30am-12:30pm Contact Margaret Boone at 749-5221 to rent a space for the yard sale. PTSO will sell food and drinks.
May 3 - Builders’ Club Summer Camp Registration at PCHS 7:00 pm
May 4 - PTSO Spring Festival . Come for dinner, which will be served from 4:30-5:30 pm in the cafeteria--- Stay to play BINGO in the cafeteria from 6-9 pm. PreK-5 Saluda School students will enjoy dancing & a movie from 6-9 pm.
May 11 - Regular school day for students

Saluda Church Services

Easter Sunrise Service will be held on top of Orchard Hill at sunrise Easter Sunday. All denominations are welcome. Breakfast will be served at the Saluda Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall immediately after the service.

Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration
The Reverend Paula C. Morton
8:00 a.m. - Holy Eucharist - Rite I
9:15 a.m. - Sunday School
10:30 a.m. - Holy Eucharist - Rite II with music

Saluda Presbyterian
The Reverend Gene Witherspoon
Adult SS 10:00 am
Worship Service 11:00 am

Saluda First Baptist Church
The Reverend Ray Talley, Interim
SS 9:45 am
Worship Service 11 am & 6:00 pm
Wednesday 7:00 pm

Saluda Methodist Church
The Reverend Tony Sayer
SS 10:00 am
Worship Service 11:00 am

No reports from City Hall this month.